Redeeming Her Viking Warrior

Danr leaped off the prow of the longboat on to the beach. The return journey had taken longer than he’d expected, thanks to a storm that had kept them trapped on shore at first and then blown them too far south, but he was finally back, his feet rooted in the one place in the world that now felt like home. It was raining—of course it was raining—but he felt ten times lighter and happier than he had when he’d left. He was back and he was staying. With his wife.

It was an exhilarated feeling that lasted all of thirty seconds until he lifted his head and saw Hilda running across the beach towards him, her expression a combination of relief and dread.

‘What’s happened?’ He grasped hold of her upper arms as she reached him. ‘Where’s Sissa?’

‘I don’t know. She’s run away... Brandt?’

‘Mother.’ His brother’s customary scowl became even more pronounced at the sight of Joarr striding up behind her.

‘What do you mean, she’s run away?’ Danr tightened his grip on her shoulders. Whatever she had to discuss with Brandt could wait. ‘What happened?’

‘I don’t know. One moment I was giving her a gown and talking about the future, the next she was gone. The guards said she just walked out and left.’

‘What? When?’

‘Two days ago.’

‘Two days?’ He frowned. Why would she have left? Especially after she’d promised him? Had she deceived him—tricked him—again? No. He discarded the idea as quickly as he thought it. If she’d never intended to

stay, then she would have left straight away, as soon as his boat was out of sight. There had to be another reason and at least two days wasn’t long. She couldn’t have gone far.

‘She’s probably just gone back to her roundhouse,’ he said with relief.

‘We’ve been into the forest.’ It was Joarr who spoke this time. ‘We found her roundhouse, but there was no sign of her. No sign of anyone having been there for a while either.’

‘Halvar? Tove?’ He made an impatient gesture as everyone stared at him blankly. ‘Her wolves! Did you see them?’

‘Not a glimpse.’

Danr looked towards the forest, struck with a growing sense of unease. He felt as if there were icy fingers trailing up and down his spine, warning him something was wrong. Where was she this time? Wherever it was, he only hoped that Halvar and Tove were with her, protecting her, unless they’d simply wandered away after she’d agreed to stay in the village, as he’d thought they might. His stomach churned at the thought.

‘I don’t know what happened.’ Hilda reached for his sleeve. ‘She was quiet while she was here, but there didn’t seem to be anything wrong. I’m sorry.’

‘You said you were talking about the future right before she left. What kind of future?’

‘Just about the hall we’re going to build.’

‘Wait, you mean you told her about your plans for a new village? Did you say I was involved?’

‘Just that you thought it was a good idea.’ She bit her lip. ‘Although, I suppose I might have implied more. I said it would be a good place to raise children.’

‘Children?’

‘Yes.’ Hilda looked stricken. ‘Do you think I frightened her away?’

Yes!

He bit his tongue on the word, squeezing her shoulders reassuringly instead. The gesture would have been unthinkable two weeks ago, but now he knew the concern in her eyes was genuine. And he wasn’t blameless. He should have asked Hilda not to mention the new village, especially after he’d promised Sissa they would make decisions together. Now she probably thought he’d been planning behind her back, planning to tell her what to do again. Panic clawed at his throat, so he had to take a deep breath before he spoke again. ‘I need to go and look for her. She might have gone along the coast.’

‘We’ve been that way, too.’ Joarr sounded sombre. ‘We’ve searched all along the shore.’

‘What about to the east, through the mountain pass?’

‘To the other side of the island? Why would she go that way?’

‘Because it’s the only other place I can think of.’ His heart leapt at the idea. ‘I need a horse. It’ll be quicker if I ride.’

‘There’s more bad weather coming.’ Joarr gestured towards the horizon.